Israeli cybersecurity firm GuardKnox demonstrated the threat in a Formula 1 driving simulation at the Consumer Electronics show this week in Las Vegas.

Moments into the virtual drive, a GuardKnox engineer playing the role of hacker struck and the steering wheel no longer controlled the speeding car.

The faux race was over for the driver, stuck on the side of the road in a scenario that cybersecurity specialists say could become very real.

New car models are packed with computer chips, sensors and mobile technology that hackers could exploit to sabotage systems or commandeer controls.